TOKYO granted Manila 1.6 billion yen, or about $10.6 million or P611 million, in grant in maritime security equipment, including coastal radar systems, automatic identification system and rigid-hull inflatable boats to boost the latter’s capability to secure its vast waters, Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo said yesterday.
“This will contribute to maintaining and strengthening regional security and enhance the security of vital sea lanes,” Kazuya said after a meeting with Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo.
“It would also improve Manila’s ability to deter threats to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
Tokyo has repeatedly expressed concerns over Chinese aggressive activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea, a vital conduit for around $3 trillion in shipborne commerce in the region.
The amount nearly doubled the 600 million yen that Manila received last year from Tokyo when the latter launched the Official Security Assistance (OSA) to the Philippines and other allies in the region.
Tokyo has also provided soft loans that enabled Manila to procure ten 44-meter multi-role response vessels and two 97-meter offshore patrol vessels for the ill-equipped Philippine Coast Guard that has been facing Chinese harassment in in the WPS.
Five more of the 97-meter offshore patrol vessel class are being acquired from Japan under another soft loan agreement.
Japan also donated five TC-90 fixed-wing aircraft to the Philippine Navy which uses it for maritime patrol and surveillance and other missions.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr witnessed the signing of the exchange of notes on the $10.6 assistance.
Arsenio Andolong, spokesman of the Department of National Defense, said the agreement reaffirmed Japan’s “commitment to enhancing the Philippines’ defense and security capabilities.”
Andolong said Philippines is the only recipient of Japan’s OSA grant for the two consecutive years.
“This year’s assistance includes support to the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force to improve maritime and air domain awareness capabilities,” he said in a statement.
Andolong said the “strengthened security cooperation reflects Japan and the Philippines’ shared commitment to regional peace and stability.”
Andolong said Teodoro expressed his expressed his gratitude to Japan for its continuous support and “emphasized the importance of bilateral and multilateral partnerships in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty in advancing shared goals in the Indo-Pacific region.”
